I have discovered a distinct partiality for fresh squeezed Grapefruit juice, or even Grapefruit juice from frozen concentrate, versus the ersatz high-fructose corn syrup abomination of canned or bottled Grapefruit juice. When I say "partiality," I am understating my reaction to grapefruit juice; I
really like it. I say this so that you be properly prepared for the following revelation about what happens when vodka is added to Grapefruit juice. I want to caution you here; it's important that you use good vodka. It's also important that it be regular vodka, not flavored vodka. I'm fond of the American made Idaho potato vodka made by Koenig. And it's even more important that you use either fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, or juice made from concentrate. Corn syrup (and the emulsifiers in canned juice) sometimes reacts in really ugly ways with vodka and leaves a sticky gelatinous residue in the bottom of the glass; consider yourself warned. I'm told by those with a juicer that Ruby Grapefruit juice is quite extraordinary in a Greyhound. Also keep in mind that there are several prescription medications that are negatively affected by grapefruit juice.
Technically, a greyhound is a highball; so you want a highball style class. Here's how to make a really great Greyhound.
- Chilled highball glass
- 5 oz of grapefruit juice
- 2 oz of vodka
Pour the vodka into the glass. Add the grapefruit juice. Drink. I note that traditionally, you serve a greyhound over ice, but chilling the glass has the same effect and doesn't dilute the grapefruit juice. Why water it down? It's not the same juice if you add extra water. If you're drinking on a hot day, and not planning on driving or operating machinery, you might as well start with 4 oz of vodka and 10 oz of grapefruit juice.
However, as fabulous as a Greyhound served in a chilled glass is, it's even better if you make it a Salty Dog by adding a rim of salt to the chilled glass, before you pour. Simply dip the rim in a little grapefruit juice, just enough to dampen the edge, then dip it again in sea-salt. After that, go ahead and make a Greyhound. The salt does something incredibly lovely to both the vodka and the grapefruit juice. There's a step-by-step guide to salting or sugaring the rim of a cocktail glass here.
You can watch a video about making a Salty Dog here: